Diner morning news: Does Vick have trade value?

QUOTE: “You want a prediction about the weather, you’re asking the wrong Phil. I’ll give you a winter prediction: It’s gonna be cold, it’s gonna be gray and it’s gonna last you for the rest of your life.” – Phil from “Groundhog Day”

Michael Vick is a top-10 QB?

On Monday, Michael Vick was on Dan Patrick’s radio show and said he still he believes he’s among the top ten quarterbacks in the NFL. Not sure I agree with his assessment, considering there were 10 quarterbacks who threw for more than 4,000 yards this season, something Vick has never done in his career. In fact, Vick has never passed for over 3,000 yards in his career, so it would be hard to think he could be a top-10 player.

But the critical question still remains: Can the Eagles actually get a draft pick by trading Vick? Based on his limited play and results this season, it would be tough to determine that Vick is going to be your starter to justify the contract and trade. When you look at his numbers rushing and passing, he did very little — just 13 passes and 24 rushes. So this trade would have to be based on a vision an organization has for Vick. But how do you craft a vision without knowing his skill level?

This time of the year, most NFL teams are building their convenient truths regarding their teams. It’s convenient for many of them to believe they don’t need help at certain positions. It’s convenient to believe this young player will become great. It’s convenient to believe they can win with the team currently in place. It would also be convenient for some team in need of a quarterback to think Vick can solve the problem, but we know that’s not true based on the evidence presented in 2009. So for the Birds to gain a pick for Vick before they have to release his rights or pay his large roster bonus, they need a team in search of a convenient truth regarding him, not a team in search of the truth.

Another example of a convenient truth comes from Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom, who actually believes his team is closer than many might think. “I think fans should be optimistic about the direction of this organization,” Rosenbloom told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in a rare interview. “We made a sweeping restructuring of the entire organization so that we could be winners on the field — to put us in position to start winning games.”

I’m not sure what games Mr. Rosenbloom watched this season, but the Rams looked a long way from being a competitive team.

It’s “I want more money” season

Every day, there seems to be a petition coming from some player in the NFL who wants a new deal based on the season he just had. Some, like Chris Johnson the Titans and Joshua Cribbs of the Browns, deserve new deals. I’m sure others do as well, but complaining about it publicly is never going to work.

South Beach Super Bowl thoughts…

1. Forget all the blitz talk from Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. He has to be thinking about using his “double everyone” game plan from the Patriots game: double Reggie Wayne, double Dallas Clark, double Austin Collie in the slot and hope Jabari Greer can hold up on Pierre Garcon. Williams has think coverage first, not rush.

2. The best rush for the Saints will have to be pushing the pocket and keeping Peyton Manning in front of them, never getting behind him so he can step up. To cause Manning problems, you must be in front of him down the middle. I call it the “paint area,” like in basketball.

3. Manning’s preparation is legendary, and I’m sure he’s done a complete study of Gregg Williams’ defense going back to Williams’ days in Washington and Buffalo. He did the same before he played Rex Ryan and the Jets.

4. The Colts have to hope their safeties play well this week. Saints quarterback Drew Brees wants to hit those seam passes down the field, and he has to work the safeties off the hash with his eyes. It will be critical for them to play well.

5. The Saints aren’t buying the news that Dwight Freeney might not play. They got fooled into thinking DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys would miss their game and he played, so they’re expecting to see Freeney in some pass rushing role.

6. Media day today here in South Florida, which had to be moved inside because of the weather. It’s been overcast and wet since I arrived.

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